


Smoke

by YouGottaBeBlitzenMyHearthstone (Aya_Chi007)



Series: The Chase Space [11]
Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, chase space series, smoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 22:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16438193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aya_Chi007/pseuds/YouGottaBeBlitzenMyHearthstone
Summary: The smoke calms him down while it makes everyone else worry.





	Smoke

     Hearthstone takes another ragged drag off the cigarette in his hand. It's been a long time since the acrid taste and burning in his throat bothered him. The end of the cigarette glows for a moment before fading back to gray ash. Carefully,  he flicks the buildup off before taking another hit.    
  
     He picked up the habit during one of their missions in Midgard for Mimir.  _ Blend in, _ Mimir had advised,  _ look natural _ . With his penchant for dark clothing,  cigarettes had seemed like a perfect accessory.   
  
    Blitzen kept telling him to quit. Hearthstone promised he would as soon as the mission was over. But the missions after that were even more stressful. He'd get so wound up that his fingers would itch until he had a cigarette between them. He couldn't calm down until he'd had his smoke.   
  
    He'd done well for while however, when they pretended to be homeless with Magnus. Hard to explain why you constantly have a pack of smokes when you’re supposedly broke and starving. He’d bum a cigarette or two occasionally off the other homeless they hung around, but he tried his best not to smoke around Magnus. Blitzen would kill him if the kid picked up the habit too. Then Magnus died. He chain-smoked an entire pack as they searched Boston for any traces of him before finally turning to Yggdrasil.

 

    Mostly at Blitzen’s insistence ( _ He’s a kid, Hearth. You’ve taught him enough swears, you don’t need to teach him anymore bad habits _ ), he’d kept the smoking low-key during their adventures with Magnus through the realms. It wasn’t easy, that was for certain. After certain near-death experiences, he absolutely could not stand himself until he’d had his nicotine. Like getting shot in Alfheim. Once they had made it back to Nidavellir, he’d lit up almost immediately, doing his best to ignore Blitzen’s glare of obvious distaste.

 

    Even though the Chase Space doesn’t hold the threat of impending death most of the time, it’s a different kind of stress. Teaching ASL, cooking meals, helping with homework, doing laundry, cleaning, helping tend the garden, and the general concern of  _ holy fuck, am I doing what’s best  for these kids _ keeps Hearthstone on edge most of the time. Most of his smoking gets done during the day, when the kids are either gone to school or to the shop with Blitzen. The weekends are trickier. The bright side is, Blitzen can’t come out and knock the cigarette out of his hand, lest he get turned to stone.

 

    Hearth had slipped outside during the breakfast rush. Magnus, Alex, and the rest of the Floor 19 were down visiting, so there was plenty of help. The weather was turning bitterly cold, which always led to more meal-seekers and busier meal-times. It was stressful, especially when newcomers didn’t know he was deaf and thought he was ignoring them on purpose. It had almost caused a few fights until one of the regulars like Trevante or Ramey stepped in and explained. Usually tempers cooled down after that. Usually. When they didn’t, well… Pablo and Trevante had been quick to put some food in a take-out box and throw the asshole out the door with it.

 

    Just the memory makes his foot tap anxiously and the drag he takes off his cigarette might be longer than usual. He breathes out the cloud of smoke when he feels someone tap his shoulder. He glances up to see Pablo looking at him in concern. 

 

_     Blitzen sent me out to look for you _ , Pablo signs, using Blitzen’s namesign (making the letter B on both hands as you sign outfit). Pablo’s not looking at Hearth though. His eyes focus on the cigarette instead.  _ I didn’t know you smoked. _

 

    Hearthstone shrugs.  _ Never came up.  _ He flicks the ash off again before examining what’s left between his fingers. He only has a couple hits left, at most.  _ Tell Blitz I’ll be in soon. _

 

    Pablo nods, but doesn’t move to go inside. Instead, he sits next to Hearthstone on the steps of the deck. That’s concerning. Hearthstone’s always cold, so he’s dressed for it: a black hoodie with holes cut in the sleeves to put his thumbs through, sweatpants, and thick socks. Pablo’s only in a t-shirt and thin pajama pants.  _ You really should quit. _

 

    Huffing, Hearthstone shakes his head.  _ You sound like Blitz. _

 

_     How do you know what Blitzen sounds like? _ They both grin at the joke and Hearthstone feels a tickle in his throat, meaning he probably laughed.

 

    He takes another hit before answering.  _ It helps me relax. _

 

_     There’s other ways to relax. Healthier ways _ . Pablo looks uncharacteristically serious.  _ Look, that can mess you up, big time. Trust me, I know. _ Hearthstone raises an eyebrow and Pablo takes the cue to continue.  _ My grandfather raised me after my parents died when I was five. He smoked a pipe the whole time. Grew his own tobacco and everything. Right before I turned fifteen, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Terminal. He was gone in a couple months. _ Suddenly, Pablo looks much older than sixteen as he stands up, his shoulders heaving with a sigh.  _ I’ve lost a lot of important people in my life too soon. I don’t want you to be one of them. _

 

    Hearth watches as Pablo trudges back into the house. As the door closes, he looks back to the yard and brings the cigarette to his lips again. 


End file.
